COSTA MESA
For the first time, the old asphalt the city tears up during street repairs will be recycled--saving the city money and helping to preserve the environment.
The old asphalt will be mixed with about 40,000 tires and used as street repaving material in the Fairview Road improvement project, which will be completed in August.
The city pays more than $22 for each ton of refuse it throws into landfills. And that’s without accounting for shipping, which can cost much more.
“This will really make a difference,” said Donna Thierault, the city’s recycling coordinator. “Anything that can be kept out of landfills is welcome.’
The tires that will be shredded for the pavement will create a longer-lasting, quieter, blacker driving surface, allowing water to run off better than regular asphalt, said Ernesto Munoz, Costa Mesa’s assistant city engineer.
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